By Jeff Todd | at
The Phillies have selected the contract of infielder Phil Gosselin. He’ll join the team’s active roster.
Gosselin, 31, has never shown much with the bat at the major league level. But this’ll be the eighth-straight season in which he found his way to the bigs, thanks largely to his respected and versatile glovework.
By Steve Adams | at
The Phillies set their Opening Day roster this morning, announcing within their press release that righty Robert Stock was designated for assignment. The club has selected the contracts of veteran infielder Neil Walker and right-handers Trevor Kelley and Ramon Rosso. The Phils also reinstated Scott Kingery, Hector Neris, Tommy Hunter and lefty Austin Davis from the injured list. The Phils’ initial roster only includes 29 players, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki notes, but it seems they could yet add veteran infielder Phil Gosselin to the mix. They’ll first need to make another 40-man move to clear space on the roster, however, which is likely the reason he has not yet been included.
Stock, 30, averages nearly 98 mph on his heater and posted a 4.11 ERA with 9.5 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a 50 percent ground-ball rate in 50 1/3 innings with the Padres between 2018-19. That’s a solid-enough resume, but he’s still bounced from St. Louis, to Houston, to Pittsburgh, to Cincinnati, to San Diego and Philadelphia since being a 2009 second-round pick and has only these past two seasons of MLB work on his resume.
Injuries have played their role, but Stock also has struggled to locate the ball throughout his time in the minor leagues (career 5.5 BB/9). He has a pair of minor league options remaining and was claimed by the Phils the last time he hit waivers, so perhaps another club will speculate on his powerful right arm.
It was already known that the veteran Walker would make the club’s Opening Day roster. The former Pirates stalwart has long been a steady producer and has recently added more positions to his repertoire, appearing at third base, first base and in the outfield corners. The switch-hitter batted .261/.344/.395 in 381 plate appearances with the Marlins last year and won a spot on the Phillies over veterans Logan Forsythe and Josh Harrison, among others.
Rosso, 24, has a strong minor league track record as a starter but seems likelier to operate out of the bullpen early in the season. It’ll be his MLB debut whenever he gets into a game. Kelley appeared in the big leagues with th Red Sox last year and was a waiver claim by the Phils, who later outrighted him off the 40-man but kept him in the organization. He pitched his way back into the mix this summer and will get his first MLB look with the Phils in the near future.
By Steve Adams | at
The Phillies announced Tuesday evening that veteran infielder/outfielder Josh Harrison requested and was granted his release. He’s now a free agent and can sign with any club.
Harrison, 32, was a fixture in the Pirates’ lineup from 2014-17, hitting a combined .290/.331/.428 with 37 homer and 59 steals in 2063 plate appearances. He bounced all over the diamond, lining up at third base, second base, shortstop and both outfield corners. The versatile Harrison twice made the All-Star team in that stretch and was even rewarded by the Bucs with a four-year, $27.3MM extension back in 2015.
Things began to go downhill for Harrison in 2018, when he sustained his second fractured hand in as many months of play. Harrison broke his left hand and missed the final month of the 2017 season, and he broke the same hand early in 2018 when he was hit by a Jose Urena fastball. Upon returning, Harrison slumped to a .250/.293/.363 line. His 2019 option was bought out by the Pirates, and he lingered in free agency for much of the winter before signing a one-year, $2MM deal with the Tigers. Hamstring issues limited him in Detroit, and his time with the Tigers resulted in a career-worst .175/.218/.263 slash in just 140 plate appearances.
With the Phillies, Harrison had been vying for a utility job, although he was part of a crowded competition. The Phillies also inked veterans Neil Walker, Logan Forsythe, Phil Gosselin, Ronald Torreyes and T.J. Rivera to minor league contracts with invitations to camp. Of that bunch, Walker has already been informed he’ll make the Opening Day roster. Forsythe was released earlier this week, and Rivera was cut loose in late May. Gosselin and Torreyes remain with the team in hopes of securing an Opening Day roster spot.
By Connor Byrne | at
The Phillies announced that right-handed reliever Anthony Swarzak has requested and received his unconditional release. Swarzak had been on a minor league contract since June. It was the second minors pact Swarzak signed with the Phillies dating back to February. The two sides reworked the initial deal.
The 34-year-old Swarzak isn’t that far removed from a brief run as one of the game’s most effective relievers. Between the White Sox and Brewers in 2017, Swarzak parlayed career-high 95 mph velocity into a 2.33 ERA/2.74 FIP with 10.59 K/9 and 2.56 BB/9 over 77 1/3 innings. That was enough to convince the Mets to sign Swarzak to a two-year, $14MM contract in the ensuing offseason. However, thanks in part to oblique and shoulder problems, his career has gone off the rails since then.
Swarzak only lasted a year with the Mets, who traded him to the Mariners in the teams’ Robinson Cano/Edwin Diaz blockbuster in December 2018. And he barely pitched for the Mariners, who dealt him to the Braves for fellow relievers Arodys Vizcaino and Jesse Biddle last May. Swarzak could only muster a 5.08 ERA/5.63 FIP with 9.63 K/9 and 4.63 BB/9 in a combined 79 2/3 innings among the three teams. The well-traveled veteran will now presumably look to catch on with yet another club.
By Mark Polishuk | at
The Phillies announced a series of roster moves, including the news that left-hander Francisco Liriano and infielder Logan Forsythe have been granted releases. Infielder Neil Walker, meanwhile, has been told he will be on Philadelphia’s Opening Day roster, so the team will be officially selecting his minor league contract at some point between now and the first game. In other moves, catcher Henri Lartigue has been removed from the Summer Camp player pool and righty Victor Arano was optioned to Triple-A.
Liriano and Forsythe both had opt-out decisions coming this week, and it seems as if the club gave them an early start on the open market since neither were in the Phillies’ plans. Walker, by contrast, also had an opt-out clause but will now receive the prorated sum of his original (non-specified) guarantee for making the big league team.
Forsythe and Walker were among several veteran infielders added by the Phillies this winter, as Josh Harrison, Ronald Torreyes, and Phil Gosselin were also signed to minor league deals. The latter trio is still in camp, though it remains to be seen how many other roster spots will be available. Scott Kingery is back after recovering from COVID-19 though it isn’t yet known if he’ll be ready for Opening Day, while star prospect Alec Bohm figures to arrive at some point in 2020, perhaps once service time considerations are no longer a factor.
Walker, 34, hit .261/.344/.395 with eight homers over 381 PA with Miami last season, delivering roughly league-average (98 OPS+, 99 wRC+) offensive production. The switch-hitting Walker did much of his damage from the left side of the plate last season, as has been the norm for much of his career.
It seemed as if Forsythe was having a comeback season for the first two months of his tenure with the Rangers last season, but a hot start quickly turned, and the 33-year-old ended up with only a .227/.325/.353 slash line from 367 PA. Forsythe will now look to catch on with his fifth different organization within the last two years.
There was some doubt as to whether or not Liriano would play at all during the 2020 season, as the southpaw reportedly considered sitting out due to COVID-19 concerns before eventually showing up at Philadelphia’s camp. 2019 saw Liriano work exclusively as a reliever for the first time in his long career, and he delivered a 3.47 ERA, 1.80 K/BB rate, 50.3% grounder rate, and 8.1 K/9 over 70 innings out of the Pirates’ bullpen. As you would expect, Liriano performed better against left-handed batters (holding them to a .659 OPS) but also held righty swingers to a respectable .730 OPS.
Beyond these numbers, however, Liriano also allowed a lot of hard contract, so there is some uncertainty as to whether he’d be able to replicate his solid 2019 statistics again. Given teams’ ever-present need for left-handed pitching, one would think Liriano will be able to find another minor league deal elsewhere.
By TC Zencka | at
Philadelphia Phillies top third base prospect Alec Bohm understands the dynamics of service time manipulation, and he understands the business sense behind holding him back in the minors to start the year, per Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “That’s a smart business move,” Bohm said.
Bryce Harper isn’t quite as accommodating, speaking out recently about the possibility of Spencer Howard – another top Philly prospect – not making the Opening Day roster, per MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. With intrasquad games such a heavy component of the ramp-up to Opening Day this season, Harper has seen Howard’s stuff up close and personal – and he’s impressed.
The Phillies rotation is set with Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Jake Arrieta slotted into the top spots with some competition for the final two roles. Still, there are plenty of capable veteran arms on hand, giving the Phils some plausible deniability when they decide that Howard needs more seasoning. Vince Velasquez, Zach Eflin, and Nick Pivetta all spent time in Philly’s rotation last season, and some combination of the three figure to get the early turns on the bump.
Howard, 24 in ten days, has a higher ceiling than those three, but he’s only pitched as high as Double-A – he made just 6 starts in Reading last year after starting the year in High-A. Given traditional development paths, it would be surprising for Howard to make the rotation from the jump – but that’s not to say he’s not capable.
As for Bohm, the 23-year-old is the long-term answer at third base for the Phillies. Like Howard, he made it as high as Double-A last season, hitting .269/.344/.500 across 270 plate appearances. His case for making the big league roster out of camp gained some traction over the winter, but all indications were – under normal circumstances – for Bohm to continue to develop in Triple-A at the start of 2020.
As in the rotation, the Phillies could certainly make room for Bohm if they so desired, but there’s more than enough veteran talent on-hand to make due. Jean Segura and Scott Kingery can split time between second and third, and veterans Josh Harrison and Neil Walker are also in camp as non-roster invitees. Jay Bruce slots in as the regular designated hitter – another veteran totally capable of handling a starting role, even if he might be better suited to the bench. In a vacuum, there’s room for Bohm, but it’s also not against baseball wisdom to give the vets a couple of weeks or more to prove they’re still capable of handling starter’s minutes.
With the shortened schedule, teams need only keep their top prospects off the major league roster for the first 6 games to secure an additional year of team control down the road. The issue, of course, has been hotly debated for years now, culminating in a grievance filed by Kris Bryant against the league. His grievance was unsuccessful. The issue persists year after year with players like Harper taking up the mantle to speak out for the rights of younger players. Service time manipulation of this sort will continue to be a hot button issue until it’s addressed – in some form or fashion – at the time of the next CBA negotiation in 2021.
By Jeff Todd | at
The Phillies have released veteran righty Bud Norris, per a club announcement. He had been with the organization on a minor-league deal.
The team also has added southpaw Austin Davis and catcher Rafael Marchan to the 60-man player pool. Both had been sidelined for undisclosed reasons.
Norris, 35, sat out the 2019 season after failing to receive an offer to his liking. He was effective in 2018, so it stood to reason he had a realistic shot at earning a job with the Phils. Norris allowed four earned runs in the four Grapefruit League frames he threw this spring.
By Mark Polishuk | at
Scott Kingery took part in the Phillies’ Summer Camp activities today, his first time taking the field since a positive COVID-19 diagnosis last month. Kingery discussed his condition with Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer and other reporters, detailing the multitude of unpleasant symptoms associated with his battle with the coronavirus.
“It’s not just a two-week thing. I think there’s some stuff with the testing that [shows] the virus can stay in your body for a lot longer than we think,” Kingery said. “Because of all the protocols you have to go through, it’s been about a month-long thing. That’s going to be half of the season if you get it during the season.”
In Kingery’s case, he suffered from such varied problems as headaches, fever, chills, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of both his sense of smell and sense of taste over the course of several weeks. Once this ordeal had passed and Kingery went 72 hours without any symptoms, Kingery tested negative on a pair of COVID-19 tests and an electrocardiogram before being fully cleared to be part of the Phillies’ camp.
The Phillies have been perhaps the hardest-hit of any team by the coronavirus, with at least seven players and multiple coaches all held out of camp due to either contracting the virus themselves, or coming into contact with someone who did have the virus. Of that group, Aaron Nola and Adam Haseley weren’t COVID-19 positive themselves, while Kingery, Tommy Hunter, and Mikie Mahtook tested positive. Bench coach Rob Thomson also tested positive but was cleared to resume his duties today in camp, Lauber wrotes in a separate piece.
It isn’t yet certain if Kingery will be ready for the Opening Day roster, given that he only just began proper baseball activities alongside his teammates. Phillies manager Joe Girardi noted that the team has a number of veteran infielders (Josh Harrison, Neil Walker, Logan Forsythe) on hand who “give you a lot of options” should Kingery need some extra time to ramp up.
“Scott’s health is the most important thing, and I don’t want him to end up on the [injured list] because his legs weren’t ready or he’s still feeling a little bit weak. We’ve got to make sure that he’s really good to go,” Girardi said.
After working as a super-utility player in his first two MLB seasons, Kingery was expected to serve primarily as Philadelphia’s regular second baseman this season. Jean Segura is moving over to third base to accommodate the newly-signed Didi Gregorius, while Harrison, Walker, and Forsythe are fighting for bench roles and could serve as extra depth all over the infield. This could include second base in the event of a Kingery absence, or if Kingery is available but is being used as a center fielder.
By Steve Adams | at
Extension talks between catcher J.T. Realmuto and the Phillies have not progressed much since the two sides held initial talks back in Spring Training, Realmuto himself said yesterday at Phillies Summer Camp (Twitter link via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). The free-agent-to-be made clear that he’s not frustrated by the situation and voiced his fondness for the organization. Realmuto’s assessment of the situation aligns closely with recent comments from general manager Matt Klentak.
“Candidly, we’ve been kind of nose to the ground — intake screenings and getting people here — so I haven’t touched base with [Realmuto’s camp],” Klentak said as players prepared to report to Summer Camp. The GM added that the “landscape” has changed since initial talks in early March but stressed that he’d love to sign Realmuto to a long-term deal.
Of course, that’s not entirely up to Klentak and his front office. Realmuto is the top catcher on the upcoming offseason’s free-agent market and quite arguably the top overall catcher in the game. He’s been open in the past about advancing the market for future catchers and figures to come with a substantial asking price. He may not be able to approach the total guarantees in record contracts signed by Joe Mauer (eight years, $184MM) and Buster Posey (eight years, $159MM), as he’ll turn 30 before Opening Day 2021. However, a record annual value topping Mauer’s $23MM over a shorter term would line up with that goal. The Cardinals guaranteed Yadier Molina $20MM annually for his age-35 through age-37 seasons. All of that will factor into the asking price for Realmuto and his agents at CAA.
As is the case with all financial matters in baseball right now, that’s where the uncertainty lies. Phillies owner John Middleton hasn’t been shy about spending in the past — see: the infamous “stupid” money quote from 2018 — and has dished out a nine-figure contract in each of the past two offseasons (13 years, $330MM for Bryce Harper; five years, $118MM for Zack Wheeler). However, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports reported in early June that Middleton projected more than $100MM in losses in an email to employees. His willingness to continue aggressively spending despite those unprecedented and previously unforeseeable revenue losses is the key factor in the ongoing Realmuto saga.
Notably, the Phillies do have some substantial money coming off the books this winter. Jake Arrieta’s three-year, $75MM deal came with a two-year club option that won’t be exercised. David Robertson’s two-year, $23MM contract seemed like a quality value for the Phils at the time it was signed, but he underwent Tommy John surgery last summer. His $12MM option will very likely be bought out for $2MM. Didi Gregorius is playing on a one-year deal worth $14MM, and Jay Bruce will be off the books as well (though the Mariners are already covering much of Bruce’s salary).
In all, the Phillies have about $113MM on the 2020 books. Next year’s arbitration class doesn’t feature many big names aside from Rhys Hoskins and a bump for second-time-eligible Zach Eflin. Odubel Herrera’s contract will expire after the 2021 season, creating further flexibility.
All of that would be critical context under normal circumstances. To an extent, it likely still is. But it’s difficult to tell right now just what type of long-term dollars Middleton is willing to commit amid these revenue losses. That’s true of just about any owner in the league at the moment, really; since transactions resumed, we’ve yet to see Yasiel Puig land with a team and haven’t seen any dollars given out beyond the prorated $700K salary that reliever Jared Hughes agreed to in his deal with the Mets.
Realmuto said back in May that prior to the shutdown, he had gotten the sense in talks with the front office that negotiations “were about to start moving pretty quickly.” As we’re all aware, though, early March in many ways feels like a lifetime ago.
By Jeff Todd | at
1:07pm: Liriano has decided to report to camp, Robert Murray tweets.
12:24pm: The Phillies were hit with several coronavirus cases relating to their Florida facility late last month. GM Matt Klentak updated the team’s situation today in comments to reporters including Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer (links to Twitter).
It runs out that outfielder Adam Haseley never had any real COVID-19 concerns. He had been away from camp, but not due to a positive test or contact with a suspected infection. Rather, it turns out that a lab error held up the 24-year-old.
That’s good news for Haseley, who’s now ready to roll. It’s a bit of a gut-check to hear of a mistake in the handling of testing, though at least the error was made in the direction of caution.
Of the four Phillies players that had been placed on the coronavirus IL, at least two — Scott Kingery and Tommy Hunter — are said to have tested positive for coronavirus. Former top overall draft pick Mikie Mahtook also registered a COVID-19 infection, which will obviously also take him out of commission while he recovers.
It’s clear there’s an even greater need for the Phils to clamp down and exercise care than most other clubs. In addition to those players, there are three coaches that have tested positive: bench coach Rob Thomson, catching coach Greg Brodzkinski, and bullpen coach Jim Gott.
Thankfully, there’s no indication to this point that any of the affected individuals is suffering significant symptoms. But the concern is obvious. Indeed, veteran lefty Francisco Liriano — who’s with the org on a minor-league deal — is said to be considering whether or not to opt out of the season.
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